A card game to renew urban parks: Face-to-face and online approach for the inclusive involvement of local community

Eval Program Plann. 2020 Apr:79:101741. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2019.101741. Epub 2019 Nov 6.

Abstract

Urban parks are often designed and renewed using standardized models that fail to incorporate the different functions and services required by the local communities served. Furthermore, when the citizens are involved in co-design, the participation processes are seldom fully inclusive, and the results are not representative of the entire local community. The paper starts from these considerations for developing an innovative participatory design method to renew urban parks. This method simultaneously uses multiple and alternative participation tools for adapting to the different technical skills of the citizens and to their inclinations. Furthermore, it entails the analysis and interpretation of the expectations of the local community in light of the urban green network. The method uses the conceptual framework of the SWOT analysis and the Trochim's concept mapping for developing a card game playable face to face or online. The results of the card game are processed using the statistical analysis to identify the main design themes (the clusters), and to split the participants' suggestions into different design alternatives. Successively, the participants vote these alternatives for selecting the renewal design respondent to the local community's needs.

Keywords: Civic media; Concept mapping; Green urban system; Participatory process; SWOT analysis; Urban park retrofitting.

MeSH terms

  • Community Participation / methods*
  • Environment Design*
  • Games, Recreational*
  • Humans
  • Mass Media
  • Organizational Case Studies
  • Parks, Recreational / organization & administration*
  • Program Evaluation
  • Urban Population*